Sean Weatherspoon returns to practice

After linebacker Sean Weatherspoon dislocated a finger in practice last week, Falcons coach Mike Smith said that Weatherspoon would be back on the field as soon as the open wound on his hand healed.

It turned out to be a week as Weatherspoon was back to work with his teammates on Monday. He wore a glove on the hand and had two fingers taped together as he went through a limited portion of the practice.

“We didn’t want him to have any contact quite yet, but we wanted to get him back out and let him work through drills,” Smith said, via the Associated Press. “He will progress each day a little bit more.”

Weatherspoon won’t play in this week’s game against the Ravens as Smith said the team is targeting the third preseason game against the Titans for his return to action. That leaves plenty of time for Weatherspoon to get ready for the regular season, which is essential for a defense that counts on him to play every down.